Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-26
A BIG GAME OF CARDS,
Money, Horses, Clothes and Liberty
Staked on a Game of Cards.

this city the other day OF an enormous
negro named Jim Zeigler recalled as IN
teresting game Of poker as was ever
played in this county. Jim is perhaps
the biggist man in the Indian territory,
being six feet eight inches tall and
weighing 2S4 pounds, well proportioned,
perfectly erect and strong as an OK.
This dusky hercules has for the past ten
years commanded both respect and ad-
miration from half the Choctaw nation.
Over in Kully Chaba, where he lives
alone in Il poverty-stricken dug-out, his
half-breed Indian and desperate neigh
bors call him Hauta Kalausa
(the black giant,) and he is treated
with II Difference consequence upon SO
meritorious title. Nobody knows any
thing of his past life; but of one
thing all are certain, he lisa man to avoid
at all times. Gossip has it that ut one
time he killed with his fist three deputy
United States marshals who had at
tempted to arrest him for illegal liquor
selling, while at another time he is said
to have run 24O miles across into Arap-
hoe county to escape an armed posse of
United States officials. Be this as it
may, jim is to-day untrammeled with
government fetters, and struts the In
dian territory with us much freedom as
the chief af the council.
JIM's POKER PLAYING PRowEss
is commensurate with his size. He
used to sit for whole days beside tho
rough Indian ''sawlog" without IL change
OF countenance, without II sound, save
the occasional grunt of disappointment
or approval, without a thought as to
food, time or results. He played with
an earnest determination and grim reck-
lessness that usually won and always ex-
cited n suspicion among the Indians
| that Black Giant was bewitched. So
deeply had thissuspicion taken root that
no Indian would play with him alone.
The presence of white men seemed to
remove their fear, and when the Ethio-
plan lost under such circumstances, 1T was
due alone to the presence OF Caucasian
rival.
His persistent winning has won for
him. beside n long ''string," eight deep
scars. One of these, a bright rod mark
that stands out with grotesque ugliness
against his black skin, extends from his
right temple to the corner OF his mouth.
This was presented to him by an unsuc-
cessful Cherokee Indian about three
years ago. Another gish received at
the hands of an infuriated white man in
Tahlequah, sliced off half his ear; this
combination OF scars giving him
demoniacal appearance which, added to
his tremendous stature, causes the ave-
rage Indian small boy to hide behind
his mothers apron or scamper Off in the
widest terror. 1t will be readily
seen that Mr.. Zeigler is neither the
beauty nor the pet of his community.
One evening, about fourteen months
ago four Indians, one white man named
Bud Tucker, and jim himself met
around the ''saw-log" at Jim's camp to
'go their luck" The game, as usual
was "hulla ko buslto" poker. After the
''oskahoma" (whisky) jug had been
passed around the conventional number
of times, loungers dropped in to witness.
| and the game started. Honors were
evenly divided toward tho first hour,
the Indians having slight advantage.
Then by degrees luck turned Jims way.
Toward midnight his success continued
to the evident chagrin of the Indians,
who began to mutter disappointedly us
their strings vanished. Bud Tucker,
however, played more earnestly than
ever. He never lost hope, but now and
then eyed his brawny competitor with
hatred so keen that the giant drew his
next hand with an undisguised nervous
ness, scowlipg now and then so savagely
that the Indians became more and more
nervous, and finally dropped out about
3 o'clock, leaving the giant ana Bud
facing each other to play to finish. AS
| the first streaks of daylight pushed their
way between the cracks of the dug-out,
| the scene inside became one OF terrible
earnest malignity. Tucker refused
cards and stood pat.
Big jim drew two cards. Betting
began. After every chip had been laid
| on the log, the excitement OF the half
| breed spectators found vent In uncon-
| trollable cries of wonder, mixed with
| terror. Many of them instinctively
moved toward the door rs though fear
| ing a lost hand on the giants part
would result int general demolition OF
everything inside the hut. Under the
mask of suppressed excitement, worn
| by the two players, there ragged trem.
| endous struggle between passions OF
| scorn. determination and deadly hatred.
| Huge knots stood out upon the darkeys
head. perspiration steamed from every
pore OF his barred neck, his breath came
| hurried and desperately, and his hands
trembled like leaves. The white man
| ierkcd his mustauhc with in
creased vigor and nerved himself
into half-crouched posture, as
though ready to spring at his black an
tagonist's throat. The giant squan-
dcrcd his clothes, his pistols, his Win
| chester, his horse, and finally his house
and outlaying claim, yet the gray beard
| again smiled and raised him. Without
n moments pause Zeigler Missed the
startling proposition that his life should
back his next hand, and that If no lost
| he wouln serve his vanquisher faithfully
in any capacity he should name. At the
| announcement Of this unprecedented
stake perfect howl of surprise went
up from the onlookers, and before it had
| died away the Black Giant was slave
in the hands Of his puny rival. Ieiglcr
held four queens, the white man four
aces. With one glance at his opponents
| hand, Tucker fell in dead faint, while
| Zeiglcr, with II terrible curse, shud-
dercd from head 10 foot and stalked out
OF the hut.
From that day to this he hts served
Bud Tucker faithfully, and quasi
friendship has sprung up between mas
ter and slave. jim attends TO fuckers
farm. herds cattle and acts as a whole
armed posse in terrorizing the horse
thieves Of the surrounding country,
, while i'm compensation he is allowed to
visit the village occasionally and enjoy
few days Of freedom. He is now
serving the third month OF his second
! wear, and, in conversation with your
| corr,.snondcnt during his visit TO town